Title: The Tales and Novels, v8: The Ephesian Matron and Others

Release Date: March, 2004 [EBook #5282] [Yes,
we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This
file was first posted on June 14, 2002]

Edition: 10

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** StartoftheprojectgutenbergEbooktalesandnovelsofFontaine, V8 ***

This eBook was produced by David Widger widger@cecomet.net

[Note: There is a short list of bookmarks,
or pointers, at the end of the file for those who
may wish to sample the author’s ideas before
making an entire meal of them. D.W.]

Thetalesandnovelsof
J. DeLaFontaine

Volume 8.

Contains:
The Eel Pie
The Magnificent
The Ephesian Matron

Theeelpie

However exquisite we beauty
find,
It satiates sense, and palls upon the mind:
Brown bread as well as white must be for
me;
My motto ever is—­variety.

That brisk brunette, with
languid, sleepy eye,
Delights my fancy; Can you tell me why?
The reason ’s plain enough:—­she
’s something new.
The other mistress, long within my view,
Though lily fair, with seraph features blessed,
No more emotion raises in my breast;
Her heart assents, while mine reluctant
proves;
Whence this diversity that in us moves?
From hence it rises, to be plain and free,
My motto ever is—­variety.

Thesame in other words, I’ve often said;
’Tis
right, at times, disguise with care to spread.
The
maxim’s good, and with it I agree:
My
motto ever is—­variety.

A
certain spouse the same devise had got,
Whose
wife by all was thought a handsome lot.
His
love, howe’er, was over very soon;
It
lasted only through the honeymoon;
Possession
had his passion quite destroyed;
In
Hymen’s bands too oft the lover ’s cloyed.

One,
’mong his valets, had a pretty wife;
The
master was himself quite full of life,
And
soon the charmer to his wishes drew,
With
which the husband discontented grew,
And
having caught them in the very fact,
He
rang his mate the changes for the act;
Sad
names he called her, howsoever just,
A
silly blockhead! thus to raise a dust,
For
what, in ev’ry town ’s so common found;
May
we worse fortune never meet around!